The locker room was always the most uncomfortable part of the gym. The smell of sweat and soap was normally dizzying, coupled with judgmental, jealous looks. The awkwardness of changing out of a one piece swimsuit with other women sneaking glances, and the occasional, sardonic "wow" from rubberneckers.
Melinda, indeed, had a lot of "wow factor." In her early twenties, she sported a healthy, lithe frame with impressive curves. A cardio-bunny, she had a soft body and rather little muscle definition, but no amount of swimming could reduce her bust. Sporting a D cup since late high school, and a tight ass, her body turned heads. This was helped by the fact that her face was gorgeous. Her gentle, rounded features, soft cheeks and long auburn hair often put her at the focal point of any room.
To be honest, Melinda was beyond sick of it. The gym was her haven away from covetous, strutting, gorilla walking men and their catcalls. The only problem was avoiding the regular crowd. So, she went on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8:00; the slowest gym days of the week, and damn near closing time. Walking to her car in the parking lot at night was a rather chilling experience, being a rather paranoid person at heart, but it was well worth it to run the treadmill, practice her forward crawl in the pool, and work her stress away.
She stepped into the locker room, her one piece swimsuit on. She yanked off her latex cap, letting her wet hair fall down her back and stretching. Her back curved and she felt a pleasant pop in her spine. She had little regard for how her chest fought the front of her plain, dark blue swimsuit. Nobody was here to judge or gawk, as far as she knew.
"Heya."
Melinda jumped at the sudden voice. There was a woman in front of her and to her right, at the locker. It was a regular; a dark haired woman who Melinda had seen often before changing her gym schedule. "Oh. Hi." Melinda gave a weak little wave, putting her towel around her chest. The raven haired woman turned back towards her locker. She didn't linger with her gaze any longer than necessary; something Melinda deeply appreciated.
Something prompted Melinda to look at her, however. The stranger seemed to invite her gaze. Melinda observed her for a moment, and found herself rather fascinated. As far as women went, she was devilishly handsome. A strong jaw, short black hair, and impressive muscle definition. She was tall, and had olive skin. She was like a living statue, carved from some obstinate living stone.
The woman shifted her gaze back to Melinda, who immediately looked away and moved to another row of lockers. She'd looked too long. She felt horribly awkward, staring like that. Busying herself, Melinda started drying off. Her blood went cold when she heard wet footsteps leading towards her. Melinda winced.
*She's going to tell me off for staring at her. She could break me in half. What was I thinking?* Melinda's mind raced, her social anxiety kicking in.
"So." The woman said. Melinda felt the hair stand on her neck, but she tried not to visibly stiffen. The raven haired woman laughed a little. "I teach a few seminars around here. One's a women's self defense. I don't want to make any assumptions...but I think you ought to join." She coolly leaned against the wall. Melinda turned. She was at a comfortable distance, but she stood in the way of the only exit. Melinda felt cornered, as drips of water fell from her hair, fingertips and thighs. She winced as a droplet moved from her scalp to her eyelash.
"Ah. Well..." Words failed her for a moment as she made eye contact. The stranger seemed to exude something invisible, but all encompassing. Like a lion breathing down your neck. It didn't help that she was a head shorter. "That sounds fun."
